Students from Prospect Primary, Edna Moyle Primary, Theoline McCoy Primary, and St Ignatius Catholic School performed their platinum award-winning pieces at the 43rd Annual National Children's Festival of the Arts (NCFA) Primary School Final Concerts, which concluded on 8 May.
The three concerts, which featured 21 schools from across the Cayman Islands, opened in Cayman Brac on 2 May and continued at the Harquail Theatre in Grand Cayman on 7 and 8 May. All performers had qualified through the April adjudications, with the concerts featuring platinum and gold award-winning performances including piano solos, vocal performances, drama pieces, instrumental ensembles, duets, and school choirs.
Minister for Education and Training, Hon. Rolston Anglin spoke about the role of the performing arts in student development. "The performing arts are a vital part of education. They are not separate from learning, they are learning. Through the arts, students learn confidence, communication, discipline, and critical thinking," the Minister said.
Director for the Department of Education Services, Mark Ray, spoke about the talent on display across the Cayman Islands' schools. “The talent we have in our public and private schools and music programmes is incredible, and we want the entire Cayman Islands to know the level of talent that exists here,” he said.
Ms. Stephanie Louw, music teacher at platinum award-winning Theoline McCoy Primary School, reflected on the choir’s preparation, which included an African folk selection and an original Caymanian composition created with her students.
“We worked much harder on our Caymanian song because it was a new composition,” she explained. “I want the students to realise that they are going to be the heroes of the future, and what they create now can impact the generations after them.”
Ms. Louw added that the students connected with both pieces through their understanding of the music’s cultural roots.
“The children absolutely loved the rhythms of the songs, and they brought so much expression to the performances,” Mrs. Louw said. “I think that expression is what made the performances so special,” she said.
For more details about the National Children’s Festival of the Arts, contact DES Senior Customer Service Manager Kimberly Kirkconnell by telephone at 945-1199 or by email at DESSchoolEvents@gov.ky.